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This pappardelle pasta recipe is easy to make and so delightful! The satisfying wide pasta ribbons go perfectly with the creamy parmesan sauce and the bright peas. It’s luscious, satisfying yet full of fresh flavor.
And if you love peas, you might also like this collection of recipes including this delicious one-pot pasta and velvety pea soup.
This quick pasta recipe uses delicious pappardelle ribbons combined with convenient frozen peas and the right amount of cream and parmesan cheese to make it rich without being heavy.
It’s also quick to be the ideal meatless family meal for busy weeknights, but at the same time the scrumptious pappardelle happens to be fancy enough to impress your guests.
Simple, convenient ingredients and little prep that still offers up a ton of fresh flavor and it’s sure to satisfy the belly and the eyes!
And once you taste the super yummy pappardelle, you might never go back to your regular noodles! : )
List of the ingredients
- Pappardelle pasta
- Peas
- Cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Onion
- Parsley
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
How to make this pappardelle pasta
(Note: this is a quick description, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Saute’ the onion in olive oil.
- Stir in the peas, a touch of pasta cooking water and cook gently.
- Add cream, parmesan, salt and pepper.
- Cook and drain the pasta.
- Toss the pasta in the pan until well combined and serve!
Recipe notes
Ingredients & substitutions
Pappardelle: you can find it in your grocery store along with the fresh pastas in the refrigerated section, or you can find dried varieties with your usual boxed pastas. Either fresh or dried pappardelle noodles are fine. Alternatively, fettuccini or tagliatelle will do too.
Peas: either fresh or frozen peas will work and there’s no need to thaw them if they’re frozen.
Onion: soft, sweet sautéed onion makes the perfect base for peas.
Olive oil: I used olive oil, but the same amount of butter will work too.
Cream: for this recipe I used English double cream with 48% fat content, which is a bit thicker than standard American heavy cream. If the cream is thicker all you have to do is thin it down with a touch of pasta cooking water.
Parmesan: for best flavor and texture, I recommend using freshly grated parmesan cheese vs. buying the pre-grated cheese that won’t melt smoothly as well.
Flat-leaf parsley: (aka Italian parsley) is more aromatic than curly parsley and adds freshness.
Salt & pepper: adjust the seasoning to make sure it doesn’t taste bland and serve with freshly cracked black pepper!
What is pappardelle pasta?
Pappardelle pasta is similar to fettuccini but with long and broad ribbons.The large surface area and rough texture make this pasta shape absolutely perfect with rich sauces or robust beef ragu’.
The name pappardelle comes from “pappare,” which means “to gobble up.”
The pappardelle is bundled into large nests so you need to fully submerged them into the boiling water. However, the nests are loose enough so the boiling water separates the strands and the noodles cooks evenly.
I love pappardelle also with mushrooms and ricotta, but it’s also great with with arugula pesto, or with sun dried tomato pasta sauce!
Fancy more pasta recipes?
You’ve got to the right place! I’ve gathered for you a few of my favorite pasta dishes full of flavor and vegetables:
- Cavatelli and broccoli
- Creamy penne pasta
- Spinach pasta
- Pasta with zucchini
- Tomato basil pasta
- Pasta with spinach and tomatoes
- Pasta with onions
- Creamy tomato pasta sauce
If you make this pappardelle pasta with peas, let me know. Leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you guys and get your feedback!
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Pappardelle pasta with Peas
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8oz (220 grams) pappardelle pasta (or tagliatelle, fettuccine…)
- ½ cup (80 ml) pasta cooking water
Peas
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion, diced (white or brown)
- 1 ½ cup (220 grams) frozen peas
- ¾ scant cup (160 ml) double cream (heavy cream or whipping cream are fine)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
Pappardelle pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, then add the pappardelle pasta and make sure it's fully submerged in water.
- Cook the pasta until al dente following the package directions, and meanwhile carefully reserve at least ½ cup of the pasta water (you'll need it for the peas).
Peas
- Warm the olive oil or the butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the peas, some of the reserved pasta water (about ⅓ cup), stir and cook until the peas are tender, about 4 minutes (although cooking time may vary here if you use fresh, frozen or thawed peas, keep an eye on them).
- When the peas are tender but still bright green, stir in the cream, the parmesan, salt, pepper and give a good stir and cook for only 2 minutes until the sauce is creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Drain the pasta, add it to the skillet, add the parsley, the rest of the reserved pasta water and stir until well combined. Serve immediately.
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